Up Jumped the Devil

[Goragula]

Noonahootin was prattling on once again, and once again Goragula was not listening.

About two-score yards down the mountainside, a dark figure zig-zagged between the coniferous trunks that sprouted from the slope. The creature was tiny, and moving with great haste ? had he been lighter on his paws, he might have slipped by unnoticed: but he stumbled and staggered and lurched as he went, barely able to carry his own frame, let alone the ungainly sack thrown over his shoulder. With every step, his weight swung haphazardly onto his right leg, its left leg trailing behind. The creature was injured ? by the crows, perhaps? But then why would it run from the owl that faced them down?

Goragula narrowed his eyes.

The toad took a swift glance at Noonahootin, weighing up the contrast between the owl?s steely talons and his crippled wing. He did not want to cross the Captain, but neither did he want to be there when the crows returned. Even an owl in his prime couldn?t face down an entire pack of them. If they brought their brethren back with them, as they surely would, they would tear the old soldier apart. To leave now would be a wiser choice. As for Cookie ? Cookie wouldn?t notice a wasp if it flew straight down his windpipe.

Goragula turned from them and slipped away, following the dark figure. The slope was treacherous, ready to crumble beneath him if he so much as scraped his heel on the wrong stone, but his curiosity imbued him with a reckless haste. A steady pattern of scarlet droplets traced the path where the creature had trodden barely a minute before, shining like bright beacons in the snow alongside the dragging paw prints. Keeping his body close to the ground, Goragula inspected the prints and took in the scent of the creature?s blood.

It was a mole.

The toad paused, unsure of his own conclusion.

Weren?t moles honest, servile beasts, only too happy to babble on to complete strangers and ask for help whenever needed? What cause had it to run? More importantly ? what was it carrying? As Goragula looked up, he saw it flit behind the shadow of a pine, then disappear. If it had noticed him, it hadn?t let on. Goragula followed, picking his way through the bed of snow and needles until he reached the tree?s base, where, between the knotted mass of roots, the wounded ground gaped into a freshly-cut tunnel.

Only minutes later, when he found even his keen eyes straining to find their way in the overwhelming darkness, Goragula could not explain what possessed him to go down there. It was so against reason to put himself in such a reckless position. But this was different. Everything had changed, in the last day. He must be proactive. Just to be, was to be reckless. And the desire to unearth the unknown had always been stronger than the sense of fear and reason that had been drilled into him by a lifetime alongside hotbloods.

The tunnels were a labyrinth of mud, stone, and hanging roots, pitch black and stinking of mould. Goragula could only follow the mole?s path by the scent of the blood that dripped from its wound, but every time he thought he came close, the creature managed to evade him. Then ? the hiss and crackle of a match lighting, and the passageway was flooded with orange light. The mole couldn?t be more than a few yards away, lurking around a corner. Goragula found him leaning against the earthy wall, the sack he carried slung to the floor as he choked and wheezed in an attempt to recuperate from the strain of dragging his injured leg. The mole let out a low moan as he touched the wound and brought his paw before his eyes, staring in horror at his own claws. In the flickering candlelight, the blood daubed over them shone redder than hellfire.

When he looked up, the tip of Goragula?s knife was at his throat.

?That?s right,? Goragula said, as the mole?s mouth hung open in shock. ?Not a sound.?

The toad grabbed the sack and upended it, scattering an array of nuts and preserved meat over the floor.  Goragula grunted in anger, kicking the bag away. They were the very same provisions that the Guard had taken to sustain them over the mountains.

?Stealing from us, eh? Not very honourable behaviour.?

?Leave Oi alone, ee gurt devil??

?Quiet,? Goragula snarled, smashing the hilt of his blade into the mole?s cheek. The toad?s calloused claws were clenched around his victim?s throat, strangling out the scream that bubbled up from his chest.

?Raise your voice again, mole, and I?ll carve out your tongue.?

The mole forced a nod.

?Now then,? said Goragula. ?Here I was, thinking moles were such pleasant little creatures. Obviously I was mistaken. You witnessed the landslide ? and instead of coming to our aid, you wait until we?ve all perished in the cold so you can steal our supplies. I want an explanation. Now.?

The mole?s voice shuddered from him in a barely audible croak. ?You?m ? allus be a-comin? on our land, ruinin? our crops, a-scaren? our babes. We doan?t loike ee trespassers, s?all.?

?And you expect me to believe that.?

?Please,? the mole choked, ?There b?aint nothin? else to it.?

?You must?ve known some of us survived, and yet you took our supplies ? all of them, even the meat. What use could moles have for such things??

The mole licked his lips, hesitating. ?We be a-thinken? you?m all be dead. We jus? wanted t? toidy up our land.?

?Never lie to a toad. We always know.? Goragula took a long, steady look into the mole?s bulging eyes. There was a protracted silence as he mulled over the creature?s words. There had to be more to it than that.  The landslide, the snowy owl, the crows, the moles ? all coming in quick succession, as if each one were trying to recompense for the failure of the others to finish them off. Goragula tightened his grip on his knife as a thought struck him.

He did not know how many beasts out there wanted him dead, and frankly, it was a waste of time to worry about it. But this was not about him; this was all of them, and that was a harrowing thought. Why the Guards? The acting troupe, the children, all the motley merchants and their servants? Who would go to the trouble of ?

For once in his life, he was lost even for thoughts.

?What else are you planning for us??

?Nothen?, zurr, nothen?!?

Still gripping the mole?s throat with one hand, Goragula gave a hefty pat to the deep gash on the creature?s thigh. ?Nasty wound that. Perhaps I can help clean it up.? He slid the knife?s tip under the mole?s skin and twisted the blade only a fraction of an inch. The mole gurgled in horror as the skin buckled and began to peel back.

?You will tell me everything you know,? the toad said, slitting upwards. A thick strip of skin dangled from the mole?s thigh, exposing the raw flesh below. As Goragula?s knife hovered above the wound, ready to start again, the mole began to tremble, his eyes rolling in a blind panic as he waited for a second blow that never came.

They were many beasts out there who liked to think themselves skilled at the art of ?extraction? ? but who always pushed too hard, too soon. They thought it was all about the pain. They had no idea of the mind?s defences, which Goragula had seen first-hand. Some creatures had an astounding capability to shut themselves away from consciousness when the trauma became too much, their minds drifting away to a calm, safe place where the agony of reality was nothing more than a far-away droning. That was why beasts screamed, but still did not speak. Fear, on the other claw ? the mind has no weapon against fear. To give a beast a sharp taste of agony, and then to leave them hanging, waiting endlessly for more until they could stand it no more, was the real skill. That was the key. Not pain, but anticipation.

Goragula held the strip between his finger and thumb, dragging with just enough pressure that the skin was on the brink of tearing. The mole took a sharp intake of breath, hissing through the pain. ?Th? tree! Ee gurt pine ? above ?ee. We be a-diggen? up ee roots, t? make et fall an? block th? way.?

?What else??

?All along ?ee road ? agh ? sink?oles, an? ? lan?sloides ? stop, stop!?

?Tell me,? Goragula lifted his blade, his eyes glinting with menace. ?Who has put you up to this??

Terrified though the mole was, the question seemed to startle him, even anger him. Goragula?s vicelike grip around his throat suddenly meant nothing. With an almighty wail, the mole thrashed his entire body in a desperate attempt to throw the toad off him. Like a beast possessed by demons, he took no heed even when Goragula?s knife plunged into his thigh ? he lunged forward, his digging claws raking through the air and straight into the toad?s outstretched arm. Three scarlet gashes flashed in Goragula?s flesh for a single heartbeat before they filled with blood, and by instinct, Goragula shot his hand to staunch the flow. The mole broke free, stumbling to the ground under the weight of his injured leg.

He made a last ditch effort to shriek for help, before the toad?s fist cracked against the back of his skull. Goragula felt the shock reverberate through him, a jolting pain rushing from his knuckles through to his shoulder-blade. The toad pulled his hand away, his claws seizing up as every bone from his wrist downwards began to burn with a deep, excruciating throbbing.

The blow had dazed the mole enough to buy him some time. With his good hand, Goragula seized the knife, grabbed the beast by the scruff of his neck, and slit his throat. He dropped the corpse face down into the mud and stared at it, the bloodied knife if his paws trembling as his arm coursed with adrenaline.

Then the entire passageway began to shudder, the muddied roots that dangled from the ceiling dancing a giddy jig above the toad?s head. A few startled shouts ? then the distant rumbling of the mole?s companions as their footsteps began to pound down the passageway. They'd heard their friend's screams, and they were coming straight for him.

Goragula seized the sack of provisions, and ran.

* * *

The last thing Goragula had expected when he came to the tunnel?s opening was to find the rest of the survivors waiting for him ? and the last thing he wanted was to hear the otter taking the opportunity to assert his opinion on the situation. The toad hauled himself from the ground, panting heavily and flopping onto the nearest perch. Somehow, down there, he?d sent the moles down the wrong passage, but it wouldn?t be long until they came looking for him on the surface.

?This was not nature, nor was it providence.?

Istvan glared at the toad in shock. ?What??

?It was moles,? Goragula said, flexing the ligaments of his injured hand with a pained hiss. He heard Cookie give a derisive snort and mutter something about tunnelling stoats.

?Why would moles do such a thing?? Istvan said. ?The All-Mother??

?Look around you,? Goragula snarled. ?It?s Winter. I?m sure your precious All-Mother has better things to worry about than upending trees on unsuspecting travellers.?

?That is blasphemy,? the otter said, his neckfur rising and his paw shooting towards the ornamental blade belted around his waist.

?Don?t worry, Greenfleck,? said Zevka with a derisive laugh. ?He says that to everybeast.?

?Does he now? I?m sure I can cope.?

Before Istvan could retort, the sound of beating wings filled the air. Noonahootin landed between them, eyeing Goragula with distaste.

?Kind of you to join us, Greenfleck. Where have you been??

Cookie grunted. ?Runnin? away from crows, like I said.?

Noonahootin held up a wing to silence them, his stern glare fixed upon the toad. ?I shall handle this. You do realise you abandoned us to face the crows alone? That is extremely dishonourable behaviour. Explain yourself.?

?I went to investigate the mole?s tunnels.? Goragula looked at his own mud-spattered body. ?If that wasn?t already evident.?

?And you did not think to inform me??

?You?re the Captain of the Guard, not of me. I work alone.?

The owl harrumphed at that. ?You insubordinate little- HMPH! Don?t you realise we?re all in this together?? the outraged owl spluttered, stomping a foot and then wincing very quickly. Seething, he breathed deeply and calmed himself. ?What did you find??

?They?ve been stealing our supplies.? The toad hauled up the sack of provisions. ?All of it ? even the food they cannot eat themselves. Look. They?re trying to sabotage us.?

The rest of the survivors gave a murmur of surprise, the vermin growling to themselves while the Guards tried to fathom what cause these strangers could have for attacking them. It was evident none of them would ever have expected such cunning from hillside simpletons. Nor had Goragula.

Zevka leaned forward, her muzzle once again adorned with a smirk of intrigue. ?Damn good work you?ve done here. There?s more to you meets the eye, isn?t there, Mister Greenfleck? I wonder how many merchants would have gone into those tunnels all alone.?

Something in her flattering tone raised Goragula?s suspicions. ?Did you expect me to be afraid of the dark, Miss Blackbriar?? He gave a short laugh, then gestured at Poko and Nyika. ?Which of you two is younger??

?I am,? the ferretmaid snapped before Nyika seemed to even have registered the question. Without a word,
Goragula tossed her the sack and the ferretmaid caught it. She stared at in surprise before diving into it and cramming as many strips of salted meat into her mouth as possible. A few lonely nuts rolled to Nyika?s footpaws.

Noonahootin raised his feathered brows in surprise at Goragula?s behaviour, but the weathered Captain continued to press in on him. ?You think they?re trying to sabotage us? Why? How did you find this out??

?I found an injured mole. He had stolen that sack, and tried to run.?

?And you spoke to him??

?I did.?

?Spoke to him?? said Istvan. ?That?s a lot of blood for just ?speaking?. The Mother does not appreciate your casual spilling of her gift of life.?

Goragula thought he caught Cookie flash a sly grin at him, but was in no mood for games. Another lance of pain shot through his fist as he clenched it. ?Bloody hell, otter, do you ever shut that pompous trap??

?Quiet!? Noonahootin boomed. ?I can?t hear my own ruddy thoughts. Whatever happened down there, I need to know exactly what is going on. Do you have proof, solid proof??

?That they?re trying to sabotage us? Yes. I fought the mole, and questioned him; he told me himself that they were planning to fell this tree. And so they have. They?re underneath us now, and the road ahead is bristling with traps. They want us gone, and we can?t even see them, let alone predict what they might do next. Do not underestimate them. He wasn?t like any mole I?ve ever met. Could barely even walk, and still went for me like a madbeast. That?s why I?m covered in blood, Istvan. I risked my damn life for you lot down there.? Goragula suddenly stopped, realising that the thick, sibilant accent was creeping back into his voice as he raised it in anger. He fell silent.

Noonahootin frowned, staring at his own injured talon. ?Then my suspicions are true.? He looked up, his eyes filled with sudden excitement. ?And what else? Did he tell you why they are taking such interest in us??

?I don?t know. He said we were trespassers, but I don?t believe it. I think something more is at play here.?

?Yes ? but what??

Goragula had no answer, and Noonahootin sighed in disappointment. Zevka took the opportunity to speak up.

?Could they have a grievance with Yew?? she said. ?With the Guard? For that matter, have they done this before? I seem to remember hearing about a least a few other groups that just went off into the mountains and never came out. ?Gates, those are just the ones from Yew ? if any went out from Carrigul and didn?t make it, we?d never know about it.?

?I must confess; I did know that such things had happened before,? Noonahootin said. ?Flax did not want me to mention it, to keep morale high, you understand. But there have been other expeditions. Some were found among the remains of other rockfalls. And others ?? here, the owl ruffled his feathers as if iced water was trickling down his spine ? ?others have not been found at all. If what Greenfleck has said is true, then we are all in grave danger. We must get away from the road at once.?

?This seems entirely ludicrous. How could the All-Mother let this happen?? Istvan said, more to himself than to anybeast else. The expression on his face now was not of his usual self-satisfied superiority ? it was frightened, even mournful. At that moment, Goragula almost pitied the poor fool, blinded as he was by his own stoic delusions.

?That?s because fate could not stop any of this,? the toad said. ?There can only be one explanation. Somebeast put them up to it. I don?t know who. But I know it.?